There may be good news for almost 3,000 Cleveland County residents who receive funds to help pay for their food.

State officials announced that the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has secured additional funds to continue the WIC program as of Friday.

WIC provides federal grants to states for supplemental food for low-income women, infants and children up to the age of 5.

DHHS has determined it can ensure the stability of the program through the end of October using lapsing funds from the previous fiscal year, additional contingency funds from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and product rebates from WIC formula manufacturer, Nestle Foods.

"By securing sufficient funds, we are able to continue supporting the women and children who depend on WIC," NC DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos said in a prepared statement. "Our state is one of the highest volume states for the WIC program so we take the impact of the shutdown very seriously."

About 2,900 in Cleveland County depend on the WIC program.

In response to the federal government shutdown, the issuance of WIC vouchers was suspended Tuesday because DHHS did not have sufficient funds to issue new vouchers.

"Because of the uncertainty of the federal shutdown, we know this may only be a temporary solution," Wos said. "But we are committed to meeting the needs of the people of North Carolina."

Local health departments are being notified to resume issuing WIC vouchers.

The WIC Program has an annual budget of $205 million. During September, the program provided supplemental food, health care referrals and nutrition education for almost 264,000 women, infants and young children in North Carolina. WIC also impacts more than 2,000 local grocery stores and other food businesses across the state.